The National tribune., 1887-12-15

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: As the sub |
iect of the military mail service within the
lines of the Army Of the Tennessee may be in- |
teresting 10 your many readers, take pleasure
in giving you brief sketch of It's early ineep- |
tion and subsequent history up TO the capture
of Nicksburg, so far as it came under my per-
sonal knowledge.
The following copy OF an order from Gen.
Grant gives the beginning Of its service:
HEADQUARTEEs DEPARTMENT : u Missouri,
CAIRO, sept. l3 lsol.J
O. II Ross IS hereby appointed Mail Agent be-
tween Cairo and Paducah until such time as the
Government may establish regular mail route, or
during the continuance of the service being per
formed by Government boats, under military aa-
thority, unless removed by proper authority;
u. =. GRANT, Brigadier-General, Commanding
at once assumed the duties assigned me, and
in October following A. II. Markland, Special
Agent Of the Postohice Department, was as
signed by the Postmaster General 10 that dis
trict. i received instructions aud suggestions
from Col. Markland from time 10 time regard
ing the mail service that were valuable. lie
continued with the army, under the command
of Gen. Grant, in the capacity Of Special Agent
Of the Postofhce Department and Superlntend-
ent of the mails within the army lines As tue
army progressed the service was extended on the
Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, aud from
the rivers into the interior as the movement OF
troops required.
For want of proper facilities TO handle the
/
! tables on the steamboats, were used Ia asserting
and distributing; wagons and ambulances were
! likewise used ia the field lt must, however,
] be borne in mind that the greater portion OF
making up the mail for the grand old army
was performed at the Cairo Postoiiice until the
movement on Fort Henry in January, lS62,
and so far as practicable, was made up in
/ pouches and sacks for briGades and divisions.
The entire mail for Gen. Grants army opera
ting against Fort Donelson, was distributed on
/ the steamboat New Uncle SAM en- route from
/ Fort Henry TO Fort DOnelsOn, in packages for
companies, regiments brigades and divisions,
and on the arrival of this boat at Fort Donel-
son, in charge of Col. Markland, personally de-
! lvered the mails before any considerable num-
Der Of Gen. Grants troops had moved into the
captured fort. That was the first distribution
of large mail within the lines of the Army of
the Tennessee while IL was moving.
When Savannah, Tenn. was occupied, was
appointed Special Military Mail Agent, and
was directed TO take charge of forward and re-
ceiye all mails on the Tennessee River; also, 10
appoint place where the mails for the North
could be received. Up to the time Of the bat
tie of Pittsburg Landing (or Shiloh) the mails
were received on some designated steamboat
and forwarded TO Cairo. They were brought
in from regiments, brigades and divisions by
! detailed soldiers.
Before the battle of Shiloh the old log house,
a noted point on that famous battlefield, was
first occupied as postoilice w. o. Ludlow,
detailed soldier from the I'd Iowa, was placed
in charge; mail being received and forwarded
from there until Corinth was occupied, when
the Office was transferred 10 the latter place.
No one who was at Pittsburg Landing imme-
diately before, at the time, or after the battle
of Shiloh, can fail 10 remember that log house.
IL was the only house on the bank, and was
the point from which the front was reached,
and the general rendezvous FOR those who came
TO the rear on business
When the battle began on the bright morn
ing of the 9th of April, that house was nearly
three miles 10 the rear. When the battle closed
in the afternoon on that day il was at the front.
Its gables were severely peppered by the mus
kerry firing of the enemy. The head of Gen.
Grants scout CARSON was taken of nearly in
front of that house on the afternoon Of the 9th,
while he was in the act of delivering a verbal
message from Gen. Buell. 10 Gen. Grant.
The night Of the 9th the postOfice was moved
out Of the house into hospital tent between il
aud the river, and the house was used for an
amputating hospital until the arrival of Gen.
Halleck, when il was again occupied by Col.
Markland aud the soldiers who had been de-
tailed for postal duty.
IL was in that log house that Gen. Grant
sought rest after the days battle, but the agon-
izing cries Of the wounded drove him TO the
foot of a tree near by, where, without other
shelter from the heavy rain than the foliage Of
the tree, he spent few hours Of the night.
After the capture Of Corinth the railroad
from that place 10 Columbus, KY, was at once
put in running Order the towns along the
, line garrisoned, and the road made the route
OF mail communication.
With moving troops or Others stationed away
} from the railroad, communication was kept
open by wagons ambulances and special
mounted cOuriers. The railroads from Jack
son, Tenn, 10 Oxford, Miss. and also from Cor
inth 10 Memphis were also put in condition
and operated by the United States while need
ed for Government purposes.
The mail for the army in front Of Kicksburg
D when the siege began was sent by steamboat
/ 10 HOung's Point and Miliken's Bend, La, and
( delivered by detailed men 10 the brigade and
d divisions 10 whom IL belonged. After the occu.
: patton OF NicksbErg, the river being then
e opened from ST. Louis 10 New Orleans for gen
8 eral traffic, the general military mail service
= was placed under the entire charge Of Col. A
] III. Markland, and was ordered 10 confne my
duties TO the mail and dispatches from our OWL
8 headquarters only.
& Thus il will be seen that the mail service fol
!, the Army Of the Tennessee was insugurated by
Gen. u. S. Grant and kept in successful opera
d tion by the cooperative action of the militar.
e and the United States postal authorities, th,
d latter branch being ably represented by Spccia
J. Agent Col. A. IL. Markland.
& j would here observe that while the Arm,
J. Of the Tennessee never lost battle, i neve
u lost a mail. ln the successful discharge OF tn
duties assigned me, j was effectively assisted
Is by detailed soldiers, Few Of whose names
e remember and take pleasure in appending
} Charles Albright, Charles DELPHI, Louis MykoH
d Ed Abdill George X. Steele, Thomas Holmes
IL Hud. Higbee. James Rawlins, Jerry Louns
/; berry, William Burke, John Simpson and -
ir Easterbrook.
p was appointed Lieutenant In the Goth III
It on the LIST day Of October, 1862; promoted {
Captain and Aid-de- Camp 10 Gen. Grant Marc
y III, 1863, and remained in charge Of militar
1f mails for the Army Of the Tennessee until GeI
N Grant was promoted TO the command OF al
st the armics.-O. ii. Ross, late Captain and Aid
N de-Camp, staff Of Gen. Grant